Former Grace Church Pastor Accused of Sexual Abuse in Medford
By Nicholas Iovino
Medford — The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts stripped a retired Medford pastor of his priesthood after investigating allegations that he sexually abused women during his time as rector. Robert M. Durkee, now 85 years old, served as pastor of Grace Episcopal Church on High Street from 1964 to 1989. In January, the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts received a complaint against the former rector, alleging that he engaged in sexual misconduct with a woman in 1980. "It's my understanding that two additional, possible victims came forward just within the last day or two," said Tracy Sukraw, director of communications for the Diocese. After receiving the complaint in January, the church suspended Durkee from any and all priestly duties on Feb. 3. He was officially removed from the priesthood on March 27. Church procedures call for the diocese to report such allegations to local authorities. Medford police are now investigating the allegations. "Everything is very much in the initial stages," Police Chief Leo A. Sacco said of the investigation. Detective Patricia Sullivan of the Medford Police Department is investigating the case. Sacco said Sullivan has 20 years of experience investigating domestic assault and sexual violence cases. Reactions at the church "For those who knew him [Durkee], it was very hard news and emotions, as you can imagine, were all over the place," said Grace Episcopal Church Pastor Rev. Noah Evans. Warren Ramirez, a longtime parishioner of Grace Episcopal, said he was shocked by allegations that Durkee sexually abused young women during his time as rector. "I don't know what the facts were of the allegations made against him, but in so far as my personal experience with him is concerned, he was an outstanding, caring pastor," said Ramirez. Ramirez said Durkee took care of people in hospitals and nursing homes and was always available for consultation. "My feelings towards him are very positive for what he did," Ramirez added. Sukraw said in situations like this, the diocese acts quickly to report the situation to authorities, to offer counseling referrals to potential victims, and to organize a pastoral response team to help the congregation process the event. "The Diocese came to Grace Church with a pastoral spot team of 10 people," Evans said. "They break the parish up into small groups with a facilitator and then disclose the allegations. Each table was given a chance in small groups to discuss their reactions." Evans said less than 20 percent of the Grace Church community today knew Durkee as their pastor. However, he said, the parish is thankful for the prompt, thorough and transparent manner in which the Diocese handled the situation. "Many people who have experienced sexual violence or assault in their own lives said this is something they wanted to talk about," Evans said. The church will observe "sexual assault awareness month" in April, holding a series of informational sessions and a candlelight vigil for all victims of sexual violence on April 25. Contact: niovino@wickedlocal.com
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